Load-brake apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

J. S. CUSTER. LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

J. S. CUSTER. LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

INVENTOR WITNESSES El NLTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN S. CUSTER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG,'PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOAD-BRAKE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. .18, 1906.

Application filed December 18, 1903. Serial No. 185.679-

- vania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Load-Brake Apparatus,

of which improvement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fluid-pressure brakes, and more particularly to what is known as load-brake apparatus, by means of which the braking power may be automatically adjusted according to the weight of the load upon the car, whereby the braking power is limited to a safe degree upon empty cars, but is greatly increased uponloaded cars. Various devices for this purpose have heretofore been proposed in WhlCh the lowering or settling movement of the car-body in compressing its. supporting-springs, due to the weight of the load, has been utilized to adjust some load-regulated device, such as a brake-cylinder admission-valve or blowdown valve or adjustable leverage, for increasing the braking power when the car is loaded and for limiting said braking ower when the car is empty. It has been ound, however, that the amount of compression of car-springs is not uniform, but that after a certain period of use many of the springs take on a permanent set, so that any device which depends for its actions upon a certain compression of the car-springs becomes unreliable and usually inoperative.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means not dependent upon .the amount of compression of the car-sprin s, but actuated by the weight or pressure of t e material itself with which the car is loaded for adjusting a load-regulated device to give heavy braking power when the car is loaded and light braking-power when the car is em ty.

Ainother feature of the invention relates to the form of valve device employed for regulating the brake-cylinder pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, showing one form of my invention; Fig. 2, a section of my improved regulating-valve with hand-operated adjusting means; Fig. 3, a

longitudinal sectional view of a hopper-bottom car, showing a sli htly-fn0dified form of my improvement ap ied thereto; Figs 4, a

cation on a larger scale; and Fig. 5, anend view of a portion of the inclined floor of the car-body, showing the spring supported plate pivoted thereto.

1, the invention-is illustrated as applied to a hopper-bottom freight-car having an inclined floor 6 and equipped with the standard airbrake apparatus, comprising auxiliary resertion as to be subjected to the weight of the material forming the load on the car, and for the purpose of illustration I have shown a through the car-bottom, so that when-the car is loaded the material forming theload will rest directly upon. the pivoted plate 11..

ably used for yieldingly supporting the late, and any desirable form of mechanica connections, such as the lever-and-rod connections 14, may be provided for adjusting a ing power according to the position of said movable plate.

The preferred form of valve device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a casing 15, located to the brake-cylinder and contains a springloaded check-valve 16,; closing toward the triple-valve connection, thus comprisingan excess-pressure valve the spring 17 of which may be adjusted according to the load on the 5 car to admit a less or greater degree of pres-1 exhausting the air fromthe brake-cylinder moved to release position. I v 1 The maximum amount of air under-pressure, which may be charged into the brakecylinder from the auxiliary reservoir through detached sectional view showing this modifi- 5 5 Referring to the construction shown in Fig.

voir 7, triple valve 8, brake-cylinder 9, havported means, such as a movable plate, 1s mounted upon the car-body in such a posiplate 11 pivoted to the inc med bottom 6' of the car and adapted to close an opening Springs 12, carried on a bracket 13, are prefer- 8o load-regulated device for varying the brakin the pipe 10, leading from the triple valve sure to the brake-cylinder. A return by-pa-ss 18, having a check-valve 19, is provided-for to the atmosphere when the triple valve is I00 pressure in the brake-cylinder.

terial resting on the movable plate 11, the

spring 12 acting through the mechanical connection 14, compresses the spring 17 to a cer tain point, which, for example, may be equivalent to an air-pressure of twenty pounds er square inch acting on the back of the va ve 16, tending to keep the same closed. Then upon successive applications of the brakes being made air under pressure from the auxiliary reservoir will 0 en said valve and flow into the brake-cyljnd er until the brake-cylinder pressure rises to an amount-say thirty five pounds er square inch-which, together with that 0 the spring 17, is substantially equivalent to the degree of pressure remaining inthe auxiliary reservoir. In this way the maximum pressure which can be supplied to, the brake-cylinder is limited on empltiy cars to such a degree as will not cause a $1 ing of the wheels.

When the car is loaded, the weight of the material acting upon the plate 11 causes a compression of the spring 12 and a movement of the plate about 'its pivot, which movement, acting through mechanical connections 14, decreases the amount of compression to which the spring 17 is adjusted, so that a much reater degree of airressure may be admitted to the brakecylin er.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the load-reailated plate is employed in connection 'wit a safety or blowdown valve 21, a plied to brake-cylinder or the pipe 10, lea ing to the brake-cylinder, the movement of the plate acting through the mechanical connection 14 to adjust the spring 22 of the safety-valve. The operation of this form of my improvement will now be apparent, the upward movement of the plate 11 when the car is empty acting to decrease the load of the spring 22 of the blow-down valve 21 and the reverse movement caused by the weight of the material when the car is loaded acting to increase the compression of the spring'on said valve to retain a much higher It will also be evident that the amount of depression of the plate 1 1 against its supporting-spring will vary in roportion with the amount of material loa ed u on the car, so that if the car is only partia y loaded the braking pressure will be only partially increased. 7

While I have shown my improvement applied to only two forms of load-regulating valves, it will be obvious that it is equally well adapted for operation in connection with various other modifications of load-regulated the car when empty and heavy braking power when the car is loaded.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-- .65 devices for securing light braking power on movable plate subject to the weight of the material forming the load on the car for adjusting said device.

4. A load-brake apparatus comprising a device for varying the braking power and a spring-supported plate pivoted to the car and.

subject to the weight of the material forming the load for adjusting said device.

5. In a load-brakeapparatus the combination with a valve device for regulating the brake-cylinder pressure, of means actuated by the weight or pressure of the material itself forming the load on the car for adjusting said valve device.

6. In a load-brake apparatus the combination with a valve device for regulating the brake-cylinder pressure, of a movableplate subject to the weight of the material forming the load on the car for adjusting said valve devic w 7 in a load-brake apparatus the combination with a valve device for regulating the brake-cylinder ressure, of a s ring-supported plate pivoted to the car an" subject to the weight of the material forming the load for adjusting said valve device.

8. In a load-brake apparatus, the combination with a train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylinder, of a springactuated excess-pressure valve in the passage leadingfrom the triple valve to the brake cylinder and adapted tobe opened by fluid flowing therethrough, and means for adjusting said sp g 9. In a lo r aid brake apparatus, the combination with a train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylinder, of a springactuated excess-pressure valve in the passage leading from the tri le valve to the braked to be opened by fluid cylinder and adapte flowing therethrough, and means actuated by the load on the car for adjusting said spring.

10. In a load-brake apparatus, the combination with a train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir,

roo

IIO

triple valve and brake-cylinder, of a springexcess ressurevalve for exhausting the fluid actuated excess-pressure valve in the passage from t e brake-cylinder. [0 leading from the triple valve to the brake- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cylinder and adapted to be opened by auxilmy hand.

iary reservoir pressure supplied through the JOHN S. CUSTER. triple valve, and means actuated by the load Witnesses:

on the ear for adjusting said spring, and a R. F. EMERY,

cl10vl valve-controlled by-pass around said JAS. B. MACDONALD. 

